In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the potter’s art was principally confined to the manufacture of common domestic vessels--large coarse dishes, cruiskens, tygs, pitchers, bowls, cups, candlesticks, pans, butter-pots, and other articles being among the number. Many articles, not made in England, were imported from Holland and other countries, and came into general use. They were, however, soon copied by our own workmen and made to a large extent. Among the principal of the imported vessels were bellarmines, or grey beards; and ale-pots. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, one William Simpson proposed to manufacture, “in some decayed town within this realm,” these ale-pots, which had till that time been solely imported from Cologne by Garnet Tynes, by which he promised that “manie a hundred poore men may be sett at worke.” As a preliminary to this, he petitioned the queen to grant him sole licence to bring them into the realm. The following is his petition:--[37] “The sewte of William Simpson, merchaunte--Whereas one Garnet Tynes, a straunger livinge in Acon, in the parte beyond the seas, being none of her ma^{ties} subjecte, doth buy uppe alle the pottes made at Culloin, called _Drinking stone pottes_, and he onelie transporteth them into this realm of England, and selleth them: It may please your ma^{tie} to graunt unto the said Simpson full power and onelie license to provyde transport and bring into this realm the same or such like drinking pottes; and the said Simpson will putt in good suretie that it shall not be prejudiciall to anie of your ma^{ties} subjects, but that he will serve them as plentifullie, and sell them at as reasonable price as the other hath sold them from tyme to tyme. “Item. He will be bound to double her ma^{ties} custome by the year, whenever it hath been at the most. “Item. He will as in him lieth draur the making of such like pottes into some decayed town within this realm, wherebie manie a hundred poore men may be sett a work. “Note. That no Englishman doth transport any potte into this realm but onlie the said Garnet Tynes, who also serveth all the Low Countries and other places with pottes.” Whether the petition was granted or not does not appear. In 1570, according to Stow, Jasper Andries and Jacob Janson, potters, who had settled in Norwich in 1567 (which see), “removed to London. They set forth in a petition to Queen Elizabeth that they were the first that brought in and exercised the said science in this realm, and were at great charges before they could find materials in this realm. They besseeched her, in recompense of their great cost and charges, that she would grant them house room in or without the liberties of London, by the water side.” In 1626 a patent was granted to Thomas Rous, _alias_ Rius, and Abraham Cullen, for the manufacture of “Stone Potts, Stone Juggs, and Stone Bottells.” This patent I here give entire:--